Curious Arrangement
by Minuit Mystique
Summary: Lady Vivenne realises Lord Wyldon and Kel have deep feelings for each other that they would never act on. So she proposes a curious arrangement, that surprises everyone. Written for Goldenlake at: fiefgoldenlake dot proboards dot com.


**A/N:** Written for Goldenlake fiefgoldenlake[dot]proboards[dot]com. Thanks to the wonderful Lisa for betaing , and the other girls (you know who you are) for help and suggestions . This fic turned out longer than I thought, so the first chapter doesn't actually have Wyldon in it . He's coming though

Warning: femmeslash

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**Curious Arrangement **

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**Chapter 1 **

"Impressive isn't it?" A cool voice spoke from behind Kel. Startled, she fumbled the heavy tome as she spun around, reaching for a sword that wasn't there. Seeing the Lady Vivenne of Cavall standing in the doorway, Kel relaxed. She suddenly felt quite silly, reaching for her sword in Lord Wyldon's library at Cavall, where she's been invited for a holiday.

"My lady," Kel said as she replaced the book on the shelf, "you startled me." She tried to collect her wandering thoughts. "Impressive?"

"I'm sorry." Vivenne smiled and stepped into the room, long skirts swaying gracefully. "I thought you heard me coming." She was still surprised at how good the young knight could look in a simple shirt and breeches. "I was referring to the library."

"There's no need to apologise my lady. I was simply too absorbed in these books." Her mind had been on something else entirely. "And yes, it is rather impressive." Kel murmured as lady Vivenne strolled over to stand next to her.

"I know it doesn't compare to some scholars' libraries of course. But most people wouldn't think my Lord Wyldon would have such an extensive collection, and it surprises them to hear of it." Vivenne leaned against the dark oak shelves, flipping her long dark hair over her shoulder.

"Not much would surprise me about Lord Wyldon anymore." Kel replied automatically and smiled.

"Really?" Lady Vivenne mused, an odd note in her voice, and studied Kel with her head cocked to one side.

"Well," she stammered, cursing herself for saying something so stupid out loud, to his wife no less. "When you serve in a war with a person, and fight alongside them, you get to know them quite well."

"Yes, of course," Vivenne ran a slender hand along the book Kel had been admiring. "My lord often says the same thing." She suppressed a secret knowing smile. "Has anything here caught your eye?" She arched one elegant eyebrow at Kel.

"Oh, I was just curious about the Tusaine War, nothing more." Kel felt slightly uncomfortable under the lady's close scrutiny.

"Ah, Tusaine. The men there have multiple wives, as you know; what do you think about that?" Vivenne winced when she realised how abrupt she sounded, but she'd been impatiently waiting for the perfect moment to talk to Kel ever since she convinced Wyldon to invite those young knights he trained to come and visit Cavall.

"Um, I haven't given it much thought before my lady." Kel wondered where this conversation was headed. "But I suppose just because their customs are different from ours doesn't mean they're wrong, necessarily. We don't have a right to judge them."

"How diplomatic of you," Vivenne chuckled warmly, liking her answer. "Well, you know that you're welcome to anything that you like here right?" She touched Kel's arm lightly.

"Thank you my lady. Lord Wyldon mentioned it also." Kel paused, the silence stretching out awkwardly as Lady Vivenne kept studying her with that intent gaze. "I ..."

"There's more than one thing that's caught your eye here at Cavall, isn't there?" Vivenne interrupted softly, and stepped closer to Kel, who unconsciously backed into the table behind her.

"I'm sorry my lady? What ... what do you mean by that?" Kel tried to swallow the ugly lump that suddenly rose in her throat. _She couldn't mean..._

"I see the way you look at him."

"Um, Lady Vivenne, I ..." Kel gripped the table with whitened knuckles, at a complete loss for words. Dread knotted in her gut. _She couldn't possibly know. It's not possible. No one knows. I've been so careful._ "... uh ... who do you mean?"

"Why my husband of course," Lady Vivenne studied the many expressions on Kel's face, that Yamani-smooth mask momentarily gone. "I've seen you watching my husband often."

"Lord Wyldon?" Kel's heart leapt into her throat. "Yes we are close, he's my former training master my lady – and I look at him as such." Her words sounded feeble even to her ears.

"No Keladry, you look at him not merely as your former training master, nor as a fellow knight. You look at him as a woman looks at a man – no, not just a man, _her_ man." Vivenne nodded when Kel shook her head. "Yes. I know, because it is how I looked at him, when I first met him, and fell in love."

"My lady, I ... that's ...." Kel faltered under those beautiful eyes, unable to lie to the lady. This isn't happening. Kel squeezed her eyes shut. She'd been so careful, avoided being alone with Lord Wyldon, constantly reminding herself that he was a married man, and her superior. But nothing she did chased away that little voice in the back of her head – the one that kept whispering unwanted thoughts about Lord Wyldon. At least, she told herself she didn't want to hear thoughts like: _look how strong Lord Wyldon is; how effortlessly he commands a room full of blooded knights; how handsome he still is despite the baldness; or how magnificent he looks mounted, with his lance up and ready to joust_. "Lady Vivenne, I would never. I mean ..."

"Oh I don't think anything untoward has happened. Yet. You're too honourable for that." Vivenne wore a strange smile.

"I don't know what to say, my lady." Kel met her eyes, then down again. "I can go, if you don't want me here." She put her Yamani face back on, determined to do the right thing.

"No, that's not what I want." Vivenne moved around and leaned against the table, next to Kel.

"It's not?" Kel looked over at her in surprise.

"He loves you too. You know that right?" She reached over and put her hand over Kel's, willing the young knight to read and understand the emotions in her eyes.

"What? No, my lady. He loves you." Kel was too shocked to respond to the slender fingers caressing hers. "He doesn't ..." She broke off and looked around Lord Wyldon's library, desperately searching for an escape route. "He's close to all the knights he's trained." Kel couldn't hide the whisper of disappointment from her voice.

"But he definitely feels more for you, Keladry, than he feels for all the other knights he's trained. He loves you, as a man loves a woman – no mistake about it. A wife knows these things." Vivenne caught Kel's chin in her hands, and turned her face back to see those normally dreamy eyes widen with panic. Smiling gently, she tucked a stray strand of soft brown hair back behind Kel's ears.

"I'm sorry my lady, it was not my intent to..." Kel pulled away and covered her burning face with her hands.

"I'm not mad at you Lady Knight." Vivenne caught Kel's in her own, framing her lovely face, resisting the urge to kiss that sad expression away.

"You're not? Pardon my asking, but why not my lady?" Confused watery hazel eyes searched the lady's intent gaze.

"I was mad at first; any wife would be. But then I watched you, as my Lord Wyldon watched you. I asked myself 'what did he see in you'?" Vivenne pulled Kel's hands away from her face, and held them close. "The more I watched you, the more I understood why my husband fell in love with you, the Lady Knight. You are gentle and kind, yet so determined and strong; 'the Protector of the Small'. You are so very lovely, and when you wield a sword or lance, you are an incredible sight. You inspire people to be better, to hope for greater things. How can I possibly blame my husband for falling in love with you, when I have very nearly done the same?"

"My lady?" Kel whispered, not quite believing what she was hearing.

"I think you are truly beautiful Keladry, inside and out." Releasing Kel's hands, Vivenne placed hers around the young knight's waist, feeling smooth muscles moving under her shirt. Stepping closer to Kel, their bodies almost touching, Vivenne leaned in and whispered in her ear. "And I've been waiting to do this." Ever so gently, she kissed those soft full lips, her left hand caressing Kel's back.

Surprised beyond belief, Kel watched Lady Vivenne lean in, thinking she should stop this, but something stopped her. Strangely enough, this felt right. Lady Vivenne was so beautiful and graceful, and Kel had indeed been admiring the lady. She never considered this before, but the feel of Lady Vivenne's warm, soft lips kissing hers, stirred something inside Kel. Hesitantly, she began returning the kiss, leaving forward into the lady's embrace.

"Wait, what of Lord Wyldon? We cannot..." Kel gasped as she pulled back and reluctantly broke the kiss, but Vivenne shushed her with a finger to her lips.

"Remember in some countries men have more than one wife? Surely some of those marriages must be happy ones. Some men can love more than one woman, and love them both equally. If a man and two women all love each other equally, there is no reason why they cannot all be together, and live happily that way." Vivenne caressed Kel's cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm sure if we tried hard enough, we can convince Wyldon that all three of us can be happy together."

"But what would people think?"

"What does it matter what others think? Surely you, Lady Knight, are not going to let fear of what others will say stop you from doing something that makes you happy? If all three of us are happy being with one another, then how can it be wrong?" She smiled and gave in to the urge to kiss the scattering of freckles across Kel's face.

"He'd never agree, would he?" Kel's asked breathlessly. Her foggy mind was unable to think up any coherent objections to this unusual proposal. In the secret depth of her heart, she knew that she'd been in love with Lord Wyldon for some time. She wasn't quite sure how it happened, and she tried to stop herself from feeling this way, but it was already too late. She told herself Lord Wyldon's married, and so far out of her reach, but that didn't stop her heart from hoping, and wishing: _if only_.

But now, what if she can have him? Only, being with Lord Wyldon meant being with Lady Vivenne too. Kel never believed she'd be one to have romantic thoughts about another woman. But something about Lady Vivenne had caught Kel's interest when she first met the lady. That alluring smile, the elegant beauty, the inner strength and intelligence, were all admirable qualities. She couldn't help but be a little bit curious about what it would be like to be involved with the Lady of Cavall. If it meant she would be with Lord Wyldon too, then she couldn't think how this arrangement was wrong; at least, not while the lady was kissing her so.

"Well, we'll just have to try very, very, hard to convince him then, Lady Knight. You can be just as stubborn as he is when you want to be after all, and so can I." Two pairs of eyes glinted with amusement. Vivenne pulled Kel even closer, fitting that strong, sturdy body against her own lighter, curved figure. This time neither woman could be sure who kissed whom, but initially soft and hesitant kisses quickly turned into long, passionate ones. Vivenne's rouged lips caressed and teased Kel's, her fingers entwined in Kel's hair. Feeling the heat spread from her lips down to the rest of her body, Kel smiled, and began to feel hopeful about this curious arrangement.


End file.
